~ the ramblings of a perambulent and often distracted sojourner

Tag Archives: Corinthians

In the closing phrases of his first letter to the Christians in Corinth, the Apostle Paul delivers what biblical scholars call the kerygma – the announcement of the good news of Easter. From the content of the letter, we can tell that the fledgeling church had some serious issues, and the apostle’s frustration mingled with love in dealing with it all has been palpable.

Here, in his final appeal, he calls them to remember the good news in all its detail. None of it happened in isolation from the grit and challenge of daily living. They are living examples of its power for transformation. So it is with you!

A new ambassador stands before the Prime Minister and formally hands over an introductory letter sealed with the mark of his own government.

A hopeful business recruit emails her CV and academic record to a prospective employer.

A starry-eyed couple meet over coffee, swapping life stories in an effort to test the polarities of magnetism between them – will they continue to attract or will repulsion render this a one-off encounter?

There are varieties of ways for presenting credentials.

The Apostle Paul somehow does it in reverse. Having defended himself against charges of misrepresenting himself as an apostle with the authority to guide the church in Corinth, he presents his concerned hearers as his very credentials! Living witnesses to growth in Christ are all the credentials he and they require of each other! See 2 Corinthians 3:1-6

Paul has a refreshing turn of phrase for cutting through conflict hiding behind formalities and red tape that bind rather than liberate!

“I have become all things to all people” – this phrase speaks of election campaigns! Suddenly politicians, normally hiding from public view, enter the catwalk, glad-handing everywhere. Previous “no-go” districts in their electorates become the target of media focused sortees, where solutions are offered to longstanding unsolvable problems. In order to win the maximum number of votes, it is important to, as far as politically possible, “be all to all.”

The phrase is borrowed from St Paul who is before the Corinthian church leaders defending his stance and vigour in spreading the Christian message.
Click on 1 Corinthians 9:16-23.

Paul has already set aside his right to compensation as he works amongst them. So passionate and urgent is he about spreading the message as far as possible that he will break stringent social class boundaries, becoming a slave to the slave, a Jew to the Jew, a Gentile to the Gentile, in order to succeed.

“How does this make Paul different to a campaigning electoral candidate?” one might ask. Look for the motive. Control and love are strong and powerful motivators. But they are mutually exclusive. One manipulates; the other serves.

(Disclaimer: this, of course, is not a slur on those excellent politicians who enter public life in order to serve)

Visitors to Australia are sometimes mystified by the Australian egalitarian penchant for “lopping the tall poppies,” i.e. ridiculing those who, by virtue of excellence in their field, may be at risk of showing a tendency to rise above the crowd either in attitude, eccentric behaviour or even failure to meet popular expectation. We quickly cut them down to size! This may not be as prevalent as multicultural diversity has had several generations now to exert its influence.

Do tall poppies have rights? The average Aussie would say “Of course!” and quickly spring to the defence of those being unfairly maligned in the media. After all, everything must pass the “pub test” (consensus arrived at in a crowd discussion at a public bar as the days’ politics are reviewed.)

In today’s text from 1 Corinthians 9:1-15, the apostle Paul vigorously defends himself against charges that his leadership is wanting and that he is not worthy of any benefit he is receiving due to his role. It looks like a pay dispute! He appeals not so much for his rights but lays out the evidence of his experience and motivation for spending his life in service to the church. For this, he is prepared to lay aside his rights lest they become an obstacle. He makes no claim except for his human need to eat. I think most Aussies would say “Fair enough!” and also rise to his defence.

This eirenic phrase is attributed to St Augustine and has been taken up by various reformers, including the Moravians and the space within the spectrum of the Christian family to which I belong.

There’s a rub, however, when it comes down to deciding what things are essential. Any community that gathers for a common cause is on shaky ground here. We claim unity in Christ as our polar star, but it’s the navigation equipment that we debate. What is essential and what is not essential?

The Apostle Paul pleads a solution in 1 Corinthians 8:7-13. In summary, he says those who are on the stronger ground must accommodate the more fragile and vulnerable members of the community, even if it means laying personal freedom to the side. Sacrifice a little bit of liberty for the sake of unity under the umbrella of charity (which for Paul and all who follow the way of Christ is supreme.) In a society where each is out for one’s own, this is countercultural. Communities like mine must model it if its wisdom and life-giving energy are to be visible.

As my church secretary says with just a hint of irony, “Just as well we aren’t doing something hard!”

There’s an app I’ve discovered on my phone that can break down the nutritional value of my daily meals. It seems like I have a healthy balance in the meat department. My vegetarian and vegan friends might be appalled at such a notion, however, and point to many other sources of protein. We remain friends.

I have observed, however, that the kind of debate that erupts around diet can divide families and sever friendships. The Apostle Paul seems to mediate a similar dietary issue in the new and troubled Corinthian church. (See 1Corintians 8:1-6)

It seems those who could afford to eat meat were scandalising their siblings in Christ by consuming temple burgers that had been dedicated to the Roman gods. “We all know these idols are false – that there’s only one G-d. It’s good meat – why waste it?”

Paul diplomatically agrees but says there is a more important question at steak (sorry – stake!) – that is “What drives how I decide an action in a community where we strive to be one by looking out for each other in such a way that the world is transformed?”

Now that’s a meaty question!

To what extent do the sensitivities of a wider community impinge on something as personal as what I eat? Tho what extent do my personal decisions affect the overall harmony of a close community? Perhaps the answer is somewhere in the point that Paul concedes: “yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, throughwhom are all things and through whom we exist.”

When we focus on what unites rather than what divides (without ignoring or discounting such), there is progress.

The genre, of course, draws on unflinching, totally dedicated, sacrificial service, epitomised by agents given to Her Majesty’s Service (or His Majesty, when the Kingsman private spy agency was born). The Apostle Paul appeals in the same way to the recalcitrant Corinthians, calling on them to emulate his ambassadorship and the “James Bond” lengths to which he is prepared to go that they and others will be reconciled to God and one another. They and all who follow the Way of Christ, he summons to be his protégés. See 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:10.

The Lenten journey is focused on reconciliation – and it takes ambassador-like dedication to ensure application and accomplishment.

The Apostle Paul had a big job on his hands while acting as a consultant to the factionalised Christian community of Corinth.

He appeals to theology, rhetoric and personal investment as he attempts to bring healing to human divisions based on status, party allegiance and ambition. It all sounds rather too familiar.

Our reflection today leads us to 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10, a window into Paul’s approach to bringing about reconciliation. Did it work? History on this particular phase of the story of the church in Corinth is silent. The fact that Paul’s rather disjointed Corinthian correspondence is included in the canon of Christian scripture, however, indicates that by about the 4th Century CE, his words were deemed universally worthy of classification as sacred writ.

In today’s passage, Paul appeals to the restored relationship with God through the acts of Jesus Christ as the unifying beacon to draw fractured parties together. Of course, this is another text that is employed to support the “original sin” doctrine, (only by the grace of God in Christ are we saved from the wretched state that fragments us, and boy, aren’t some of our sins here in Corinth original!). The text can just as easily, however, be interpreted through the exemplary atonement or “free will” lens. (Salvation – aka healing of division – is found by looking to the example of Christ in drawing people together – behave as Christ behaved, love as Christ loved, be enlivened by his Spirit that dwells within and amongst you, and the appeal of factionalism will melt away).

Succumbing to passive acceptance of human hubris will not heal the divisions in our community. Only alert awareness of the role to which the awakened are called in exemplifying the manner of the perfect love enacteded and revealed through Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, infiltrating the community as salt and light, will do the job.

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